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Joint Statement
"Strengthening Comprehensive Partnership toward
Enduring Friendship and Regional Prosperity"

Japanese

1. His Excellency Mr. Choummaly Sayasone, Secretary General of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) paid the first official visit to Japan from 2 to 6 March 2010, commemorating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Lao PDR. During his visit, President Choummaly Sayasone made a State Call on His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, held a meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, and met with other distinguished figures including political and business leaders. At the meeting between Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and President Choummaly Sayasone held on 4 March 2010, both sides exchanged views on a wide range of issues related to the bilateral relations and cooperation as well as regional and international issues of common interest.

Review of Bilateral Relations and Future Directions

2. Both sides shared the views that the strong relationship and mutual trust between Japan and the Lao PDR fostered throughout the course of more than five decades of diplomatic relations and cooperation are common and irreplaceable assets for the two countries. Both sides expressed their desire and willingness to move forward such traditional friendship and fruitful cooperation onto the future generation through carrying on the Comprehensive Partnership toward Enduring Friendship and Regional Prosperity.


3. The Japanese side commended the Lao PDR for its great achievements made in social-economic development and reiterated that Japan will continue its policy to expand its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Lao PDR in support of its development efforts. The Lao side expressed its strong appreciation for the continued assistance provided by Japan to its national development and expressed its willingness to utilize the Japanese ODA in an efficient and effective manner. The Lao side also extended its appreciation to Japan for its active and fruitful contribution to the development in the Mekong Region and various international frameworks, and reiterated its intention to further enhance cooperation in this regard.

Promotion of Wide-Ranging Exchanges and Cooperation

4. Both sides shared the view that people-to-people exchange was crucial in bringing the bilateral relationship to a new height. In this regard, both sides reaffirmed their intention to further promote people-to-people exchange and cooperation at various levels and in various fields.


5. Both sides reaffirmed their intention to promote the exchanges at various levels starting from the Heads of Governments, government officials and parliamentarians to the grass-root level, including young people. Both sides also shared the view to promote the partnership between local entities of the two countries. Both sides reiterated their intention to promote people-to-people exchanges in various fields such as security and defense, business and academics, including the acceptance of Lao students to study in Japan.


6. Both sides reaffirmed that they will promote cooperation in various fields. In this regard, both sides recognized the importance of enhancing cooperation in promoting tourism and spreading Japanese and Lao languages. In this context, the Japanese side reiterated its appreciation to the Lao PDR for its decision to exempt tourist visas to the Japanese people, which became effective on 1 January 2007, while the Lao side expressed its determination to make further efforts to attract more Japanese tourists to the Lao PDR.


7. Both sides decided to launch and further enhance the dialogue between senior diplomats with a view to further strengthening the bilateral relations.


8. Both sides confirmed that they will organize youth exchange programmes, cultural activities and other events for raising public awareness about Japan and the Lao PDR with a view to making the most of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Japan and the Lao PDR in 2010.

Strengthening Economic Relations

9. Both sides recognized that the enhancement of economic cooperation is mutually beneficial in the medium and long terms, and shared the intention to further strengthen their efforts in this regard. The Japanese side expressed its support for the early accession of the Lao PDR to the World Trade Organization.


10. The Lao side expressed its continued support for the increase of direct investment from Japan, and assured that it will make its best efforts to improve its investment environment. Both sides confirmed that they will further utilize the Japan-Lao Public-Private Dialogue to this end. Both sides also shared the intention to continue their cooperation for the development of economic-related laws in the Lao PDR and for the progress of the implementation of the bilateral investment agreement between the two countries.


11. Both sides reaffirmed their continued cooperation for the development of both hard and soft infrastructures in the Lao PDR including its connectivity with its neighbours. The Japanese side expressed its support to the Lao efforts on the comprehensive development of the Vientiane Capital City. The Japanese side also announced that it will extend assistance to the projects in the fields of environment and climate change, such as photovoltaic generation and forest reservation, for which the Lao side expressed its appreciation. Furthermore, both sides shared the view that they will also explore and implement projects under public and private partnership.

Regional Peace and Stability

12. Both sides expressed their intention to enhance bilateral coordination in promoting regional peace, stability and mutual trust with a view to meeting the commitments made by the Heads of Governments at the First Meeting between the Heads of the Governments of Japan and the Mekong region countries in November 2009 (hereinafter referred to as "the First Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting").


13. Both sides recognized that the Sixth-Party Talks remains the most effective framework for achieving the verifiable and irreversible denuclearization and for ensuring an enduring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.The two sides recognized the importance of the full implementation of the commitments made in previous rounds of the Six-Party Talks and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and called upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible. Both sides recognized that the abduction issue is a serious humanitarian concern that needs a comprehensive solution.


14. Both sides welcomed the progress made toward the upcoming general elections to be held in Myanmar this year and expressed their confidence that the general elections would be transparent, free, fair and inclusive with the participation of all parties concerned. Both sides shared the expectation that a positive environment will be created to expedite the national reconciliation and the democratization process in Myanmar.

Regional Development Cooperation

15. Both sides reaffirmed their intention to make efforts for the smooth implementation of the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement, which entered into force in December 2008.


16. Both sides noted, with satisfaction, the progress made in the implementation of the ASEAN Charter and confirmed that they will continue sharing the universal and regional values stated in the ASEAN Charter.


17. Both sides shared the view that stable and sustainable development of the Lao PDR, located in a strategic junction of the Mekong Region, is beneficial for the integration of ASEAN and the ASEAN community to be built by 2015 as well as for the building of an East Asian community as a long term goal. The Japanese side expressed its determination to continue its support for narrowing the development gap within ASEAN, for which the Lao PDR expressed its deep gratitude. Both sides recognized that the activities of the ASEAN Promotion Centre on Trade, Investment and Tourism are effective for the enhancement of cooperation both between ASEAN and Japan as well as between Japan and the Lao PDR.


18. Both sides confirmed that the implementation of the agenda stated in the "Tokyo Declaration of the First Meeting between the Heads of the Governments of Japan and the Mekong region countries" and "Mekong-Japan Action Plan 63" issued at the First Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting is extremely crucial for the development and prosperity of the Lao PDR and the Mekong region as a whole, and that they will cooperate toward this end. The Japanese side expressed its determination to continue its support to the Mekong Region countries to overcome the challenges as well as to promote the human resources development and their utilization in the region, for which the Lao side expressed its profound appreciation.

Strengthening Partnership in the International Arena

19. Reform of the United Nations
    Both sides reiterated the urgent need for the reform of the United Nations (UN), especially the Security Council. Both sides shared the view that the membership of the UN Security Council should be expanded in both permanent and non-permanent seats with a view to making the UN Security Council more broadly representative, efficient and transparent. In this regard, the Lao side expressed its continued support to Japan's permanent membership in the UN Security Council, which the Japanese side highly appreciated.


20. Environment/Climate Change:
    (1) Both sides confirmed that they will cooperate under the initiative of "A decade toward the Green Mekong," which was adopted at the First Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting. The Lao side reiterated its support to the Japanese initiatives in the field of environment and climate change, and expressed its intention to actively work on measures against climate change such as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by associating itself with the "Copenhagen Accord," which had been developed at the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15) in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009. The Japanese side expressed its intention, under the "Hatoyama Initiative," which aims at enhancing financial and technical assistance to developing countries, to assist the Lao PDR's efforts in mitigation and adaptation to the adverse impact of climate change. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to work constructively towards the establishment of a fair and effective framework by agreeing on a single and comprehensive legal document.
    
    (2) The Lao side expressed its appreciation to Japan for its assistance in addressing the impact of Typhoon Ketsana in September 2009.
    
    (3) The Lao side expressed its appreciation for the efforts by Japan in the conservation of biodiversity, noting that Japan will chair the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10). The Japanese side also expressed its intention to explore measures to cooperate for the preservation of Irrawaddy Dolphins in the Mekong River.


21. Human Security
    Both sides recognized the importance of human security and expressed their intention to work together in promoting and realizing it.


22. Disarmament/Non-Proliferation
    (1) Both sides shared their intention to promote cooperation in the fields of disarmament and non-proliferation, including in the process leading up to the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
    
    (2) Both sides expressed their commitment to cooperate in promoting and advocating the implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Both sides welcomed the 30th conclusion of this Convention and looked forward to the entry into force of this Convention on 1 August this year. The Japanese side welcomed the offer by the Lao PDR to host the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in November this year, and expressed its readiness to cooperate with the Lao PDR in its preparations and organization with a view to achieving a successful outcome of this Meeting. The Japanese side also reiterated its willingness to continue its support for the clearance of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in the Lao PDR, including the Lao part of the Development Triangle, through various channels.


23. International Whaling Commission
    The Lao side expressed that it will continue to support the position of Japan in the International Whaling Commission, for which the Japanese side expressed its appreciation.


24. Transnational Organized Crime
    Both sides reiterated their intention to continue their cooperation at both national and international levels against transnational organized crimes, inter alia, illicit drug and human trafficking.

Signed in Tokyo, Japan, 4 March 2010,